In comments today on Russian television, President Vladimir Putin reiterated Russia’s upper house of parliament has given him the authorization to use military force in Ukraine, and that he intends to “do everything possible” to protect the protesters in the country’s east.
At the same time, Putin insisted that he hoped political and diplomatic efforts would be sufficient to deescalate the crisis, and that he wants to avoid military action in the area.
That the exact opposite of the Western narrative, which claims Putin is looking for a pretext to invade. If he was, he’s certainly gotten it in the past couple of days, as Ukraine’s military has invaded protester cities and killed protesters in what is being laughably called an “anti-terrorist” operation.
Multiple predictions of an imminent Russian invasion have not panned out, and the reality of the situation seems to be much closer to Putin’s own comments, and Russia seems to be dangling the threat of military action they don’t really want to launch in hopes of letting the protesters continue on without overt Russian involvement.
It’s not hard to understand why, either, as the annexation of dirt-poor Crimea already looks to be a very expensive proposition, and military involvement in Donetsk could well lead to another round of accessions into the Russian Federation, meaning more failing industrial cities to bail out.
The agreement is in fact a surrender, because it blithely and repeatedly uses the word “illegal”: “All illegal armed groups must be disarmed; all illegally seized buildings must be returned to legitimate owners; all illegally occupied streets, squares, and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated.” Who defines “illegal” when one party does not recognise the legality of the government imposed by the other, or its laws? Russia is selling the people of Donbas out to the Nazis in exchange for an agreement by Ukraine to pay its gas bills in future, and an agreement that Crimea will return to the status quo ante. That's all. This is the biggest Russian sell-out since Yugoslavia.
Its not Russia who has sold the people of Ukraine out.
It is the Western Spies and agents from the CIA who gave false hopes to the People of Ukraine and coerced them into supporting a facist and nazi crew of thugs who now weild power in Kiev.
There's no doubt that the interim Ukrainian governent is trying to provoke Putin and that is undoubtedly the right strategy. Ukraine has nothing left to lose. It's also true that any further annexations will add to Russia's financial burdens. Basically, anything worth owning has been grabbed by the oligrachs who pay very little tax. And the burden of Sochi debt has yet to hit. But it remains to be seen what Putin will do after the European Parliament elections on 25 May. His antics have shown people just how much they need the EU and that torpedos the US neocons' scam to "fix" the EP election in favour of far-right parties and, no doubt, manufacture Ukraine-type street riots once the vote is over. Marine Le Pen has already had to scurry to Moscow and Putin may just be waiting. We'll see what happens after 25 May!